You Know It's Love
by Athena
Summary: Osamu Ichijouji and Jun Motomiya meet at their brothers' soccer game and sparks begin to fly. Ken and Daisuke decide to take matters into their own hands to get them together.
1. Teasers

Disclaimer: Digimon Adventure 02 and all its characters don't belong to me and never will, unless I suddenly find myself switching places with the creator. Okay, enough with the daydreaming; this story is another alternate universe. (What? You were expecting something different? AUs are practically the only things I can do!) I'm sure the change will be noticeable right off, so I won't even try to explain… This story was written for Cynthia's "Jun Motomiya romance" challenge … many years ago. Be warned, Jun-haters!

I'm using the Japanese names in this story, as well as Japanese endearments. And, if I end up involving Digimon at all, everything in here will be leaning towards the Japanese version. (BTW, I'm still using my made-up names for Ken and Osamu's parents. Don't mistake them for the real names.)  
Started: January 8, 2001  
Finished: January 29, 2001  
Revised: January 9, 2005

* * *

**"You Know It's Love"  
_Part 1: Teasers_**

Little brothers were the parasites of every family. It _had_ to be true, especially since said little brother was being the parasite he was, mooching off her "hidden" stash of chocolates that had been snagged from the kitchen. Normally, she would have paid little heed to the whole incident for lack of a good reason to be angry, but those particular chocolates were from a certain someone…

"Daisuke!!" Fury burned in Jun Motomiya's eyes as she ran into the room, yanking the gold-trimmed box out of the boy's hands. "These were from Yamato-kun!"

A pair of brown eyes rolled in response, a hand wiping at a small chocolate smudge on the corner of the owner's lips. "Jun, you know that's not true; that all just happened in some weird dream you had last week!"

Jun's eyes narrowed angrily as she hugged the chocolate box to her chest. "Who told you_ that?_"

"You did."

"Oh … I did, didn't I?" Jun sighed sadly and sank onto her bed, staring at the apartment ceiling blankly. "Daisuke … why do you think Yamato-kun doesn't like me?"

Daisuke frowned at Jun's socks, looking away from the frilly yellow things as he spoke. "I thought you already knew; Yamato's not interested, Jun."

"But why!?" Jun whined and thrust herself into a sitting position, looking down at her brother, who was curled up at the side of her bed. "Why doesn't he like me? Am I too ugly or something?"

Being the insensitive and clueless eleven-year-old he was, Daisuke simply shrugged and said, "Probably."

That statement earned the boy a slap to the back of his head and a soft kick in the thigh, to which Daisuke retorted with a tackle around Jun's ankles that sent her sprawling to her side.

The sibling brawl had begun.

x x x x x

Younger brothers were, without a doubt, the most annoying things to plague the known world. Especially when they were younger brothers that _just didn't know when to shut up._Osamu Ichijouji tapped his pencil against the top of his desktop in a futile attempt to block out his brother's inane chatter, trying to concentrate his attention on the algebra homework laid out before him. The only other person in the room spoke loud enough for the both of them, juggling a soccer ball that should have been thrown out the window half an hour ago. Osamu tolerated the incessant thumping and clinking of the ball hitting some part of his brother's body, if only because he would have to face the wrath of his parents should they discover he took away his little brother's toy without good reason.

… That is, until the ball came flying through the air, crashing through his workspace and nearly hitting him and his computer.

_"Ken!!"_ Osamu's amethyst eyes flashed as he jutted out of his chair, giving the sheepish-looking boy a heated glare as his papers floated to the ground.

"Sorry, sorry," Ken Ichijouji apologized quickly, trying to walk across the room to get to his ball.

"Not this time, otouto…" Osamu got to the soccer ball first, kicking it out onto the terrace through the open sliding door.

"Osamu-chan!" Ken's eyes widened as he watched his precious ball bounce haplessly about the balcony, just barely wrenching his gaze away to meet his brother's furious one. "What was that for?"

"For disturbing my work!" The older Ichijouji flailed his arms wildly, gesturing to the mess that was compiling on the floor. "Besides, you know _very_ well that Papa and Mama will be _pissed off_ if you break something!"

Ken sighed, muttering another apology as he started helping his brother pick up the fallen papers. He glanced at the math problems as soon as he had gotten together a thin stack, then stated, "The answer's seven plus or minus the square root of negative twenty-three all over twelve."

Osamu stared at his sibling incredulously as he took back his homework, then said flatly, "I knew that."

"_Sure,_ you did…," Ken chuckled, rolling purple eyes as he ambled over to retrieve his soccer ball.

If Ken hadn't had his back turned, he would have noticed Osamu's eyes twitch right before he ran and tackled the smaller boy from behind, his intent being to tickle the smartass into submission.

x x x x x

She never understood soccer; the whole purpose of the game seemed meaningless and boring to her. The ball would shoot back and forth between opposing teams, ultimately ending up in one of the two goals on opposites sides of the field. Then the ball would be brought back into the middle and the whole process would start over again.

_Yeesh, why does Daisuke like this stuff anyway?_ she wondered to herself, head in her hands as she sat in the bleachers. _I shouldn't have even promised to go to his dumb game … although he'd probably have broken my finger if I'd refused._ She winced, quickly changing the subject so she wouldn't have to dwell on the painful thought. _How totally uncool is this? I've gotta be the only teenager here!_ Her eyes wandered up and down the bleachers, spotting only kids younger than Daisuke and adults that were more than likely other players' parents. _Gaaaah! I'm in teenager hell here!  
_

The thoughts, however, stopped as soon as her eyes fell on a boy roughly her age, tapping at a black laptop. He was a few bleachers below her, his back the only thing visible even with the sparsely-filled seats.

_… Okay, I take that back._

Standing up from her seat, Jun made her way down to the same level that the boy was sitting on. She settled down next to the boy, smiling brightly and gripping the wood under her. "Hi there! What're you doing?"

She didn't receive an immediate response, the boy tapping at the computer keys for a few more seconds before pressing the Enter key and looking up at the speaker. Jun was greeted by calm, purple eyes that glinted behind oval frames and a straight face that made no space for a smile. For a moment, Jun lost herself in those eyes and thought of nothing else but them.

However, that feeling didn't last long.

"I'm typing a science paper on the water cycle," he said nonchalantly. "Do I know you?"

"Nope," Jun replied, her smiling not faltering, "but I was getting soooo bored watching this soccer game. What's so important to this game?"

The boy looked away, his eyes following the players on the field. "Just watch for a moment." Reluctantly, Jun allowed her eyes to drift back to the game. "The Tamachi and Odaiba teams are the best teams in the prefecture."

"Really? Even when Daisuke's on the team?" Jun watched her brother receive a pass from one of his midfielders and head for the Tamachi goal. "Whoa! He's gonna score!"

"I highly doubt that," murmured her companion, a tinge of delight to his voice. Both watched as the brown-haired boy charged at the goal, a green-and-black blur coming out of nowhere and sweeping the ball away from him. An indigo-haired boy dribbled the soccer ball out of the goal area, a rocket as he covered ground. "My brother covers the whole field."

"Brother…?" Jun blinked at the boy down on the field, recognizing him from TV and the newspapers. "But isn't that Ken Ichijouji…?" Sudden realization hit her, causing her eyes to widen in shock. She nearly leapt to her feet as she stared at the boy sitting next to her. "You're Osamu Ichijouji, the prodigy!"

A faint, amused smile appeared on the boy's face at the title. "Guilty, I'm afraid," he said in that quiet voice of his. "I have yet to hear your name."

Jun flushed, realizing that she had completely forgotten to introduce herself. _Of course, **he** didn't introduce himself, either,_ she thought. _Oh, my God… I can't believe I'm talking to **the** Osamu Ichijouji!_ "I'm Jun Motomiya," she said, trying her best not to stutter. "… Daisuke's sister." She gestured lamely at the boy that Ken had just stolen the ball from, then laughed at herself. "Geez, I never thought I'd meet the Child Scientist of Tamachi!"

Osamu looked skyward, a sigh passing his lips. "That stupid title was given to me by the reporters; I'd rather not be called by that. Even the whole 'prodigy' thing is a bit farfetched. Titles aren't my thing."

"You're so modest," giggled Jun. Her eyes wandered back to the game, her eyes lighting up as Daisuke stole the ball from Ken. _"Goooo, Daisuke!!"_ The dark-haired boy blinked as Jun jumped up and down, clapping wildly as Daisuke fired at the goal. "C'mon, Dai, you can do it! Show those busters who they're messing with!!"

"… I thought you weren't into soccer." Osamu propelled his voice so that Jun could hear him over her own shouting.

The red-haired girl grinned, taking her seat again and rocking back and forth happily. "Yeah, well, I never saw the fun in it. _Now_ I have a reason to like it."

"And what's that?"

Her grin broadened. "I can watch my little bro kick _your_ little bro's butt."

Osamu stiffened, blinking hard at the girl. His eyes then narrowed, and he shut his laptop. "Is that so…?"

Jun nodded firmly. "Yeah!"

"Yeah?" Osamu's brow shot up.

"Yeah!!"

Holding his Gates laptop under one arm, Osamu leapt up to his feet and began shouting down to the soccer field. _"Ken!! You better crush those kids into atoms!"_

_"Daisuke, wipe 'em all out! Especially Ichijouji-san!"_

Osamu glared at Jun's challenging look, then screamed, _"Ken, annihilate the Motomiya kid!!"_

The screaming contest continued until the end of the game.

x x x x x

Ken gave his older brother a look of strained confusion as they walked home, toting his soccer bag over one shoulder and flailing with one hand. "I'm glad you were being so _enthusiastic,_ Osamu-chan," he began, stressing heavily on the 'enthusiastic,' "but what was up with you!? You were practically telling us to kill each other!"

Osamu smiled at the younger boy, feigning innocence in such a way that it was easily recognized by Ken. "Ken-chan, Ken-chan … can't I have some fun every now and then?" He let out a light laugh, adjusting his glasses with his free hand; the other was burdened with his laptop bag. "I think almost losing my voice was worth the look on your face…"

An exasperated sigh escaped the other boy's lips. The soccer game had ended with two very distraught teams; the game had ended in a tie and the referee had called off a shootout. "What got into you? There was that girl you were having your shouting contest with…"

"Her name's Jun Motomiya, and apparently she's the sister of one of the Odaiba players," Osamu replied, calming a bit. "Do you know anyone named Motomiya?"

"Daisuke Motomiya, yeah," affirmed Ken. "Why were you talking to her?"

The older Ichijouji shrugged, picking up his pace and grinning back at his brother. "C'mon, Ken-chan! I owe you a burger, don't I? Hurry up!"

Ken stared after the taller boy warily, his attention slowly being averted to a little green face that appeared in the crack in his bag. "Ken-chan, I think your brother's going loony," Minomon declared. "I've never seen someone so excited to pay off a debt…"

"Neither have I," Ken admitted, patting the little Digimon on the head. "I didn't even threaten him that much, either; I just threw him over my shoulder and pinned him to the ground with some easy Judo moves."

Minomon sweatdropped.

x x x x x

Three weeks passed before another soccer game was held between Tamachi and Odaiba Elementary. As he pulled a sports jacket over his soccer jersey and shoved a towel in his bag for Chibimon, Daisuke took notice of his sister putting on her own jacket in the hallway. "Going somewhere, Jun?" he queried.

Jun grinned at him. "Yep."

"'Gonna go hound Yamato into letting you date him?"

"Not today!" giggled the older Motomiya, the grin never once faltering. "I'm going to your soccer game!"

Daisuke twitched, staring at the taller girl in shock. "W-- what?"

"You heard me -- I'm going to your soccer game!" Jun patted her little brother on the head, gripping at his brown spikes happily. "I've gotta make sure you pound those Tamachi guys into the ground."

The shorter of the two continued to twitch, raising a hand to remove Jun's hand from his head. "Uh, can I ask why? You were never interested before…"

"Hey, can't a girl get interested in her brother's hobbies without getting interrogated?" demanded Jun, taking her hand back before Daisuke could touch her. "I'm offended here, Daisuke!"

Daisuke rolled his eyes and slung his soccer bag over one shoulder, heading for the front door. "You're _really_ weird, Jun," he declared loudly, grinning as a quiet snicker could be heard from his bag. Patting at the area he was sure Chibimon was in, the Chosen Child left the house, Jun hot on his heels.

x x x x x

"Hey, it's the Child Scientist!"

"Ah, I wasn't aware using tons of hairgel was popular with girls…"

"I wasn't aware using tons of hairgel was popular _period!_"

"Shouldn't that be an exclamation mark?"

The two spat back enthusiastic taunts, earning them strange looks from their brothers as they headed down the bleachers. "What's up with your sister, Daisuke?" Ken asked from his fellow Chosen as they walked.

"'Should be asking you the same 'bout your bro, Ken," Daisuke muttered back, glancing behind him to the two. "They're really letting each other have it…"

Ken frowned, following the shorter boy's gaze back to their older siblings. "I wonder what happened? Did they get off on the wrong foot?"

"'Not sure," was his reply. As they reached the bottom of the bleachers, Daisuke held his hand out to the indigo-haired boy. "Well, we're at it again, Ken."

"Heh … so we are," agreed Ken with a nod. He shook his friend's hand. "No restraints as usual, Daisuke?"

"Sure thing! The tougher, the better!"

Releasing each other's hands, the two headed off to their respective teams in preparation for battle. As the game started up, both Daisuke and Ken could hear shouting from the stands. They looked up simultaneously, seeing their siblings already cheering away at the top of their lungs from their seats. Groaning, the two boys lowered their eyes and tried to concentrate on the game.

_"Don't let them win, Daisuke!"_

_"C'mon, Ken! Go, go, go!!"_

It was going to be a _long_ game.

x x x x x

Daisuke felt like pulling out his hair as he packed up his cleats. _Another_ tie game. Somehow, despite all of the shouts and cheers from the stands, Tamachi and Odaiba had ended at another dead tie. Chibimon noticed the angry look on his face. "Daisuke, it can't be that bad…"

"I think Jun and Ken's brother are plotting against us or something," grumbled the Chosen of Courage and Friendship as he put on the goggles Taichi had given him. "This is the second time we've tied!"

"Coincidence?" queried the blue Digimon.

"I have this thing about coincidences … there aren't any," mumbled Daisuke. He sighed and gently pushed Chibimon back into the bag, zipping the bag up halfway. "You okay in there, Chibimon?"

A pair of red eyes blinked up at him from the semi-darkness, and Daisuke smiled. He made his way over to where Jun was standing, noting that she was still talking to Ken's brother. Not wanting to walk up on some conversation between the two, the boy made his presence known before he was in their faces. "Jun!! C'mon, I'm ready!! Let's go!"

Jun blinked in surprise, shifting her attention from the conversation to her brother. She quickly wrapped up what she was talking about, slapping the boy on the shoulder and getting herself a slap in the shoulder from the boy in return. Grinning, she skipped over to Daisuke. "All right, I'm ready."

"Are you friends with Ken's brother, Jun?" Daisuke queried as they walked away, glancing back to see Ken and Osamu walking in the opposite direction.

The red-haired girl looked surprised by the question, rolling her eyes in amusement. "Friends with him? Well, I dunno, Daisuke… He's so weird! You think he's all modest and polite, but under it all, he's competitive and really arrogant. I'm not sure what to think of him."

Daisuke tried his very best to not look exasperated, shifting his bag to distract his hands for a short while. "You're avoiding the question."

"I'd have to ask him!" laughed Jun, her eyes smiling radiantly down at her younger brother.

_Man, why did my sister have to be a nutcase?_ wondered Daisuke as he silently walked home with his giddy, older sibling.

x x x x x

"Tadaima!" The two boys echoed each other as they entered the apartment.

"Okaeri nasai!" chirped Rika Ichijouji, appearing in the hallway from the kitchen and hugging her two sons. "How was the game?"

Her younger son didn't look very thrilled to report back on the soccer game. "We tied again, Mama," he grumbled.

Rika gave the boy a sympathetic look, hugging him again. "Oh, I'm sure you'll beat them next time, Ken," she said.

"Yeah, and you better," Osamu said lightly, edging past their mother to get into the kitchen.

Ken and their mother followed, watching as Osamu pulled a box of crackers from the cupboard and opened it up. "What's _that_ supposed to mean, Osamu-chan?" Ken frowned slightly at the statement.

"Well, I'm just saying that you better win the next game against Odaiba," the boy said as he adjusted his glasses and dug for a cracker. "I'm not gonna keep going if the game's gonna be so predictable."

"Osamu, show some encouragement for your brother," Rika chided. She hated negativity around the household.

"Sorry, Mama," Osamu sighed, popping a cracker into his mouth and eating it before continuing. "I _did_ encourage Ken-chan at the game, though."

"Actually, I think he was just having a shouting match with Jun Motomiya," Ken interjected, smiling wryly at his brother. "He just made it sound like cheering because it was appropriate for the time."

"Jun Motomiya?" repeated Rika, blinking. "Osamu, who is that?"

The older of the two boys shot the younger a glare, at which Ken grinned. "Uh, she's a girl I met at Ken-chan's game a few weeks ago. She lives on the other side of the city."

Rika was openly showing her interest in the subject; it wasn't every day she heard anything about a girl from either of her sons. It was always some sort of sporting event -- soccer and Judo for Ken and swimming and tennis for Osamu -- or an academic tournament -- math and science Olympiads, impromptu essay contests, and the like -- that the two focused their attention on. Girls were a welcome change to the very earthy woman. "I'd like to meet her someday," she said wistfully.

"Mama, I just met her," Osamu said, trying his best not to sound annoyed and failing. "You make it sound like I'm planning on marrying the girl."

The woman laughed, smiling maternally at her older son. "You know us mothers," she quipped warmly. "We always dream for our children."

Osamu and Ken stared at their mother and then at each other, groaning to themselves. Melodramatic mothers.

x x x x x

"Konnichiwa, Izumi-san," Osamu greeted, bowing politely to his best friend's mother. "Is Koushiro here?"

The pink-haired woman smiled at the fourteen-year-old at her front door. It was always a pleasure to hear the polite flow of words from a mature someone, even if it was only her son's best friend. "Hai," she confirmed. "He's in his room, Osamu."

Thanking the woman, Osamu entered the Izumi residence and slipped off his shoes, padding through the carpeted apartment until he reached the now-familiar door of his friend's room. He knocked, waiting patiently for a reply. "Enter."

Osamu rolled his eyes, opening the door and stepping into his friend's room. It was far cleaner than his own, although Osamu had the excuse of sharing his room with a younger sibling. Koushiro Izumi turned in his swivel chair from the opposite side of the room, grinning at his guest. "Good to see you, Osamu," he said happily. "'Brought your laptop?"

"Don't I always?" Osamu laughed at the familiar greeting; the shorter boy would always ask the same question upon meeting him at his house. He patted the black bag slung around his chest and hanging at his left hip as he shut the door. "Any new programs, Kou?"

"Not since the one I sent yesterday," Koushiro replied, pulling another chair over so that he could share the desk with Osamu. The last program he had sent through e-mail had been nothing fancy; it showed a little old man (designed to look a lot like Gennai) bouncing off the sides of the computer, much like a rubber ball trapped in a box. It was supposed to be a screensaver. "… We are nerds, you know that?"

"Ah, I wouldn't say that." The other boy genius waved off the remark and took a seat, setting up his own laptop. "… Have you ever heard of Jun Motomiya, Koushiro?"

Koushiro shifted in his chair to look at his best friend, a brow shooting up. "Jun Motomiya? As in Daisuke's sister? … How did you meet her?"

"A soccer game of Ken's," shrugged the other boy. "She's so cheerful it's gotta be painful. Does she go to your school?"

"Fortunately for Yamato-san, no," Koushiro responded, booting up his computer. "She has a humongous crush on him, and it'd be illogical to say that she wouldn't be all over him if she were in our junior high."

Osamu frowned in confusion, saving the information of this 'Yamato' for later use. "Well, she doesn't go to Tamachi…"

"Yamato-san told me she goes to Midori Ame, on the southern end of Odaiba."

"The private school for girls? Why?"

Koushiro smiled wryly. "I believe he mentioned that it was because her parents believed boys were too much of a distraction to her studies."

The taller of the two laughed loudly at the statement. "Now, why would they think _that?_" The sarcasm was very tangible.

x x x x x

Jun made it her business to "miss" the school bus that would take her home from Midori Ame, beaming as stepped onto the bus towards Tamachi. She couldn't quite explain why she was doing what she was doing; she barely knew her intended victim and had little idea of what he thought of her. Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought; those thoughts never stopped her from chasing after Yamato Ishida. But, at the same time, she couldn't help but feel that she wanted to know what Osamu Ichijouji thought of her. The idea of receiving a negative reaction from the boy genius scared Jun, which she found startling.

She blinked, finding herself crossing one of the many bridges that marked the ending of Odaiba and the beginning of Tamachi. Brushing at her brown school uniform jacket as she stepped off the bus, Jun continued on to the private schools of the district, which happened to be right next to each other. Gray-clad students spilled out of the elementary, the black-jacketed junior high kids easy to spot among them. One in particular caught her eye, and she grinned widely.

"Hey, Prodigy!!"

Her victim straightened at the title-turned-taunt, turning to where the voice had come from. Jun smiled as Osamu approached, taking in his school uniform. She silently admitted to herself that the boy looked hot wearing white slacks and a black jacket, the dark blue turtleneck visible since the jacket hung open.

"Jun?" Osamu blinked at the sight of the girl. "What are you doing over here?"

Jun shrugged, feeling giddy in the presence of the boy genius. "I've found a new purpose in life!" she replied happily. "Annoying you!"

To her surprise, Osamu laughed at her declaration. "Is that so?" he chuckled, a smile gracing his face. It was a nice smile, Jun concluded after staring at it a few seconds. Very charming, very honest. "Well, I'm flattered that you think I'm worth annoying. 'Must be fun, since we both know you only belittle me because you're jealous!"

"Jealous?!" Jun gaped at the boy. "Okay, Prodigy, what's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry… I thought I was speaking in Japanese!" Osamu's smile had become a leer so quickly that it sent Jun's mind spinning. "You're jealous of my brother and me!"

"Oh, no, no, _no…_" Jun shook her head and wagged one finger in Osamu's face. "You've got it all backwards! You see, _you're_ jealous of _my_ brother and _me!_"

Osamu laughed again, clutching his briefcase tightly to make sure he didn't drop it. "Would you like to go grab an ice cream, Jun-_chan_?"

Jun didn't miss the stressed endearment, managing a giggle. _Wait a minute here … did he just ask me out?!_ "That's very nice of you, Osamu-_kun._ What's the catch?"

"You have to beat me there!" Before Jun's eyes, Osamu dashed off down the street, briefcase still in hand.

It took the girl only a moment to get over her shock, picking her jaw up off the ground and running after the boy with a furious glow in her eyes. "You _cheated,_ Osamu! Get back here!! You _cheated!!!_"

Elementary and junior high students alike watched the spectacle of one of the Ichijouji brothers being chased by a raving girl, many of them not thinking much of it; they had seen similar things many times in the past. One elementary student in particular took the time to watch the two disappear into the city, frowning as he made his way to a tree which he leaned against.

_Geez…,_ Ken thought to himself, looking to the green leaves of the tree as he gripped his briefcase in one hand. _Daisuke's never going to believe me when I tell him about this…_

* * *

**Notes:**  
I took that algebra problem (at the beginning of the story) right out of one of my old Algebra II class homework assignments; for anyone that's curious (yeah, I'm sure _everyone's_ thrilled to hear about homework), the beginning problem was 6x-squared minus 7x plus 3 equals 0. You need to know Quadratic Formula and imaginary numbers to work it out. 

I'm a firm believer that Daisuke and Jun have a normal brother-sister relationship; there are some bad times and some good times. I also don't like to dwell on the thought of Daisuke hating his life; it's too depressing for such an active character. I tried to write the two Motomiyas in the same way I act with my little brother. And yes, we do get a bit physical every now and then. The only difference is … well, he's a lot taller than me now.

"Midori Ame" is translated as "Green Rain." Either that, or "Lush Rain." I'd prefer it be translated as "Green Rain."


	2. Schemers

Started: February 1, 2001  
Finished: February 24, 2001  
Revised: January 9, 2005

* * *

**"You Know It's Love"  
_Part 2: Schemers_ **

There were significant changes to Ken Ichijouji and Daisuke Motomiya's home-lives within the next week; Ken found himself walking home alone or going straight to Odaiba Elementary after school, while Daisuke noted an almost eerie silence at home with Jun always out. The two Chosen Children found themselves victims to enthusiastic stories from their older siblings at the dinner table, and then after dinner as well. They remained quiet in their sufferings however, not letting their friends know of their siblings sudden interest in each other -- for lack of a better term, as Ken would often say.

Of course, it was inevitable that a curious Yamato Ishida would approach Daisuke.

"Konbanwa, Yamato!" greeted Daisuke, seeing the blonde standing at the sidelines after soccer practice one day. "What's up?"

Yamato smiled that small smile of his, hands buried in his pockets as he spoke. "I wanted to talk to you about your sister, Daisuke," he said seriously.

"Jun?" Daisuke silently cursed and began to shift uncomfortably. "Uh … what about her?"

"I haven't seen her around lately," replied the Chosen of Friendship. "Is she off on a trip or something?"

"… Uh, no." Daisuke pulled the towel slung around his neck off, stuffing it in his bag. Chibimon had decided to sleep in at home for the day. "She's still here. Just … busy."

The blue-eyed fourteen-year-old arched a delicate brow. "Busy? What's she up to? Daisuke, don't you lie to me."

Sighing a defeated sigh, the younger boy nodded. "Okay, it's like this: Jun and Ken's bro are friends or something -- Jun doesn't know -- and they tease the heck out of each other every time they see each other. 'Thing is, they've been seeing each other all week and Jun doesn't talk about anything else but Ken's brother -- whose name I don't know even though I'm best buds with Ken -- and it's really getting annoying since I have to put up with it every night at the dinner table--"

"Okay, okay!" Yamato waved his hands in front of him in order to stop the rambling Chosen. "I get the picture! … Geez, Jun's got herself a new obsession?"

"I dunno if I'd call it an 'obsession,'" replied Daisuke. "Ken's bro seems to like the attention… Either that, or he's really quiet in his suffering; Ken doesn't hear him complain about her _at all._"

"Now that's odd," mused Yamato. He smirked as he rolled his shoulders. "They probably like each other, then. Are they going out?"

Daisuke's eyes widened in horror at the thought. "My sister … _dating_ someone!? Especially my best friend's brother?! You've _gotta_ be kidding!" He stopped, a frown developing on his face. "… Actually, that's not as bad as I thought before. It's just … weird."

Yamato chuckled quietly at the uncertain look on Daisuke's face. "Don't worry; I bet things will go back to the way they were after awhile. Just don't be surprised if Jun and Osamu start seeing each other regularly."

"Duly noted," sighed Daisuke. He picked up his soccer bag and looked strangely at his friend. "You sure are taking this calmly; I thought you'd be dancing or something after hearing Jun's not interested anymore…"

If Daisuke didn't know any better, he could have sworn Yamato's eyes glittered at the remark. "… Truth be told, Daisuke, I'm wildly ecstatic," the older Chosen said. "I'm just containing it right now."

x x x x x

As Yamato had foretold, the flow of life returned to normal within another week. Ken walked home with Osamu and Daisuke complained about Jun's shrieks as she used the telephone or watched TV. Everything seemed to have regained its normality, until…

Ken pulled windbreakers over his soccer shorts, brushing back a stray lock of hair that made its way between his eyes. He reverently picked Minomon up off of his bed, careful to keep him out of Osamu's sight as he put him into his soccer bag. Osamu shifted in his elevated bed over the entrance to the balcony, shutting the book he had been reading as he looked over to his brother.

"Soccer game?" Osamu queried dryly. "Good luck, Ken-chan."

The younger Ichijouji zipped his bag halfway as he met the elder's gaze. "It's a game against Odaiba, niichan; they're still trying to figure out that tie."

Osamu nodded slowly. "Good luck, then."

"… Aren't you coming?"

A frown marred Osamu's face at the question. "No; I've got lots of homework tonight. Maybe some other time, Ken-chan…"

Even as Osamu looked away and reopened his book, he could feel Ken's eyes on him. _Lots of homework?_ wondered the soccer player of the family, picking up his soccer bag without looking. _Lots of homework for Osamu-chan usually takes less than an hour…_ "Well … okay," Ken murmured.

_Maybe I was wrong… Maybe Osamu doesn't like Jun after all…_

x x x x x

Daisuke waved at Ken urgently as the slightly-older Chosen Child arrived at the soccer field. Ken walked quickly to his best friend, a frown etched on his sharp face. "Osamu didn't come," he reported bluntly.

The shorter boy nodded. "Neither did Jun," he replied, scratching his head. "What's going on? I was almost sure they had a thing for each other…"

"So was I…" Ken crossed his arms and looked skyward, his face melting with thoughtfulness. After a few moments of silence, he stated, "They must really like each other."

"Huh?"

Ken flashed his friend a grin, bursting into logic that sent Daisuke's mind spinning. "You see, only people that really like each other will do things like that; they're denying themselves because they're confused!"

"… What?!"

Shaking his head, the Child of Kindness grabbed hold of his friend's arm and began dragging him from the stadium. Daisuke gaped in confusion, looking back at the two soccer teams that seemed oblivious to their parting. "Ken!!" The brown-haired Chosen squeezed hard on the other's wrist, managing to loosen his grip as they reached the top of the stone steps. "Where're we going?! What about the game??"

Ken only glanced at the soccer field down below for a moment, then shrugged. "Isn't it obvious that we're only going to tie again?" he queried. "We've gotta get your sister and my brother together!"

Daisuke's eyes widened even more, and Ken again dragged the boy away from their game. "… Since when did you start playing Cupid, Ken…?" Daisuke muttered as they turned a corner.

"Since the idea came to me that this'll be a great opportunity for blackmail," was the indigo-haired boy's breezy reply.

A whoop tore through the air at that. "Blackmail Jun?? Aw, yeah, count me _in!_" There was an excited lilt to Daisuke's step after that. "Ken, you are _evil!_" Admiration was evident in the child's voice.

Ken could only smirk, buffing his fingernails against his soccer jersey in an overplay of arrogance as they walked on.

x x x x x

Jun blinked as she heard the front door slam, turning off the TV before standing up and entering the hallway. Her eyes widened at the sight of her little brother, seething vehemently and dusty from a brawl of some sort. The younger Motomiya lifted his head, revealing a dirt-smudged face and blazing eyes.

"Daisuke! What happened to you?" She hurried to her brother's side, looking him over again to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"T-- that _jerk!_" Daisuke hissed. He stamped his foot angrily, then continued. "He got all pissed off 'cuz of the game and-- and attacked me!"

The fourteen-year-old girl's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Attacked you? Who??" _Whoever did this to my little bro's gonna pay in spades…_

"Ichijouji. Ken Ichijouji."

Those same eyes that had narrowed seconds before widened in shock. "Osamu's brother?! Aren't you two, like, best friends or something?"

"Not anymore!" roared the furious boy. "I'm never talking to him again!"

Something twisted inside of Jun at those words. _If he hates Ken … I won't have a reason to see that arrogant brother of his… Hold on, is that a good or bad thing?_ After Jun mentally persuaded herself that it would be a _bad _thing to not be able to tease Osamu Ichijouji, she said, "… So, did you guys win?"

"We _tied!!_"

x x x x x

Osamu looked up from his computer as the door opened swiftly, revealing his bedraggled younger brother, who growled in greeting. Shutting down the computer, the fourteen-year-old stood up to give his full attention to his brother. "Ken, what happened? You look horrible!"

"Daisuke Motomiya happened to me!" seethed Ken, shooting daggers at the far wall. "He tried to pummel me into the ground after that last game!! Why weren't you there, Osamu?!"

The older Ichijouji stared in horror as angry tears streamed down his brother's face. Unable to think of anything better to do, Osamu wrapped his arms around Ken and held him as he sobbed bitterly. "Why didn't you just defend yourself?" Osamu queried. "You haven't been taking Judo lessons for nothing, you know!"

"Would you want to fight your best friend!?" retorted the distraught boy, his face partially buried in his older brother's shoulder.

Osamu tried to imagine himself punching Koushiro, failing miserably. "… Do you want to talk about it? Should we tell Mama and Papa?"

Ken shook his head, slowly pulling out of the embrace and straightening. "C-- can you handle it, Osamu-chan? I don't want Mama and Papa getting involved in this…"

Sighing, Osamu nodded. "That's fine; I understand. I'll go call them up."

As Osamu left the room, he failed to notice the smile of triumph growing on his teary-eyed brother's face.

x x x x x

Daisuke tried his best to look hurt as he marched down the soccer bleachers, holding an umbrella over his head. It had begun to rain before they left the apartment, forcing the two siblings into rainwear for their trek. Jun tugged at her slicker hood as she spied the soccer field below. Her younger brother pointed off to the right, causing her to avert her gaze.

A familiar pair was coming their way, across the lowest of the bleachers.

Jun shifted uncomfortably, not liking the stern look Osamu Ichijouji was giving her and her little brother. Where was that funny smile of his? That glint of mischief and humor?

Those were gone, replaced by a serious, quietly furious face that she didn't like being on the receiving end of.

"Jun, Daisuke," Osamu greeted firmly, standing protectively in front of his younger brother. Ken's face was unreadable -- something that also unnerved Jun.

"Hi, Osamu … Ken," Jun murmured. She tried to concentrate her thoughts on the situation at hand instead of her discomfort around the two Ichijoujis. _Ken beat up Daisuke. Get that through your thick skull! You've gotta focus…_

"Do you mind if we get out of the rain?"

Ken's voice caused Jun to blink hard, her eyes falling on the gray-jacketed boy. She nodded slowly. "… All right, yeah, that's a good idea," she sighed. Ken turned and led the way to a small shed to the corner of the soccer field that was used to store extra soccer nets and the like. Without a lock on the thick door, the shed was accessible to virtually anyone. Jun frowned at the sight of the small structure. "Is that a bit small for all of us?"

Daisuke spoke up from behind her. "This isn't the time to complain, Jun."

_Great, there I go again with worrying over everything **but** the real situation…_

Ken pushed at the door, which swung open with ease. "Ladies first," he said quietly, his eyes on the only girl in the group.

Jun entered the shed without another thought, noting the boxes of inflatable soccer balls and extra soccer goal nets. Osamu was right behind her, his blue raincoat's accumulated rainwater adding to Jun's on the concrete floor. They were silent together, taking in their surroundings with slight frowns.

And then the door slammed shut behind them, engulfing them in semi-darkness.

"What the hell--!?" Osamu swung around to face the shut door, water from his coat hitting Jun in the face. "What's going on here?!" He tried to pull at the door, finding resistance from the other side.

From beyond the door, Jun could hear her brother's voice. "Hurry up, Ken; your bro's trying to open the door!"

Her eyes widened as she realized what was going on: Daisuke and Ken were going to bolt the two of them in the shed!

The red-haired girl joined the indigo-haired boy at the door, trying to pull at the door as well. "Daisuke, you _jerk!_" she screeched. "Open the door, _now!_"

"Shove that bar in there!" Ken was ordering from the other side.

"Ken-- oh, my God, don't you _dare…!!_" There was the unmistakable sound of metal rubbing against metal, the shrieks of something being wedged into the door handle distorting any and all coherent thoughts. "Ken!!"

"Daisuke!!" Jun began to beat on the thick door, adding a few kicks for good measure. "Open up!!"

Several moments later, Osamu drifted away from the door to sit heavily on a box of inflatable soccer balls, pulling off his hood and taking off his glasses to clean them. He watched Jun continue to kick and throw threats, his mind not processing the scene.

Finally, Jun stopped her futile beatings and simply shouted to the two boys that were, hopefully, still watching the door. "Daisuke, open the door!! I'll _scream!!_"

Osamu lowered his head into his hands, rubbing his temples wearily. "You've _been_ screaming."

Jun turned swiftly on her heels, her enraged expression faltering and then crumbling completely at the sight that greeted her. Osamu gave the girl a slightly-pained look, sitting there with his wet hair dripping and his glasses dotted with raindrops from her wheeling around sharply. Shaking his head, the boy took off his raincoat and tossed it onto another box a few feet away from him. Jun's raincoat soon joined his, its owner sitting down on a box of soccer goal nets near Osamu.

"… I can't believe this," she muttered. "I would've expected this from Dai, but how could he have dragged Ken into doing this?"

Drying off his glasses for a second time, Osamu smiled wryly. "Ken's no angel," he remarked lightly. "In fact, I'd say he's spontaneous in some ways; he'll follow any wild idea that he likes."

x x x x x

Ken twitched as he overheard Osamu's remark. He leaned backwards and away from the shed, careful to keep under its roofing to avoid the rain. "Spontaneous?" he repeated to his partner in crime.

Daisuke still held his umbrella over his head, pulling at his raincoat with one hand. "Hey, I'd say he's right," he shrugged. "You're sure no angel, either."

x x x x x

"Why in the world would they do this?" Osamu sighed, his voice muffled by his hands. "There's just no logical reason for any of this…"

Jun tried to rock in her seat, trying to keep warm in her short-sleeved shirt. "Well, maybe there's an illogical reason, then," she replied. When Osamu looked her way in confusion, the girl grinned weakly. "Daisuke's not exactly the logical type, you know? He probably hatched some sort of half-brained scheme that only he would understand. Somewhere along the way, Ken got involved."

x x x x x

"Half-brained?!" Daisuke prepared to throttle the door with his free hand. "What's _that_ supposed to mean??"

Ken rolled his eyes, dragging the younger boy away from the door. "Be quiet," he ordered. "We're trying to listen in, aren't we?"

Daisuke pouted slightly, then relaxed. He propped his umbrella back up and laid down under it, trying to concentrate his attention on the falling rain instead of the words traded between his sister and Ken's brother.

x x x x x

Osamu couldn't keep the frown off his face as he looked up. He could have sworn he had heard a voice beyond the door… _Knowing Ken, he's probably hanging around and eavesdropping. But what's there to eavesdrop on?_ His eyes focused on the only other person in the room, catching the quiet gleam in bluish orbs.

"Why are you so pressed into believing that Daisuke's the mastermind behind us being locked in here?" he asked, out of the blue. "From the way you've been carrying on, Jun, I'm beginning to think that you _want _to blame Daisuke for this whole thing."

There was a heavy silence following his words, one which Jun didn't break.

The young boy genius scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "… Sorry, that was pretty rude of me. I don't even know you well enough to make accusations."

Jun shook her head, resting her hands between her knees as she replied. "Actually, _I_ should be more sorry than you, Osamu. I got all competitive over Daisuke's soccer game to get to you; I wanted to see what the prodigy of Odaiba was really like. If I'd just kept my big mouth shut, we wouldn't be in this mess!" She shivered, raising one hand to rub one cold arm. "I'm always doing stupid things, saying stupid things… It must really run in the family or something…"

A small smile graced the boy's face. "You … wanted to get to know me?" he said quietly. "… I'm flattered."

"'Flattered?'" repeated Jun. Her head was still bowed sadly. "That can't be right; you're Osamu Ichijouji! You have scores of admirers that would like to get at you!"

"That's true, but how many have made the effort to befriend me?" When Jun gave him a startled look, he laughed quietly. "You're the first person that's tried to get my attention through indirect competition … and I liked the feeling. I felt like someone was treating me like a regular person for once; Ken-chan's the only one who does that for me. It was a wonderful gesture, Jun."

Those shining eyes disappeared from sight again, this time behind closed eyelids. _What am I supposed to say?_ Jun demanded of herself, shuddering. _I can't say that I wanted him to like me; how absolutely shallow is that? But … it's true. I've been working towards that smile of his, that beautiful glint in his eyes … from the very start. I'm horrible… He's saying all these nice things about me and none of them are true…  
_

The next thing Jun knew, something thick and warm was being wrapped around her shoulders.

Her eyes opened immediately, blinking at the boy who now sat next to her. Within the time she had closed and opened her eyes, Osamu had closed the gap between them and stripped off his sweater, putting it over her without a word. A close-lipped smile greeted her. "Why do you keep hiding those beautiful eyes?"

Beautiful? Did _Osamu Ichijouji_ just call her beautiful? Jun blushed, barely managing to keep down the fangirlish glee that was building up inside of her. "Thank you," she managed. "Osamu … I've been totally dishonest with you. My real drive was to see you smile, like you are now. I … don't think I was thinking about being your friend throughout the whole thing. I mean, I wanted to get to know you, but--"

Osamu raised a hand to stop the girl from continuing, knowing she would babble on if given half a chance. "I think I know what you mean," he said quietly. He removed his glasses, lowering his gaze to patiently clean the lenses on his dark blue turtleneck. "You weren't going for simplicity, were you?"

Jun watched the indigo-haired boy, a pang of guilt streaking through her. His voice had dropped to a toneless whisper, leaving her wondering. _Is he angry? Is he crushed? … He must be crushed; I mean, I just told him I wasn't interested in being his friend…_

Before Jun could choke out an apology, Osamu raised his gaze to look at her again. Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at those violet eyes, which showed off their beauty without the restraints of glasses. _He seriously needs to consider contacts,_ she found herself thinking.

"… I've been looking at your eyes since the first day I met you, Jun," Osamu said, his voice smooth and calming. "Nothing about them has changed between then and now; there's still that honesty, that hope, that wonder… Those eyes haven't lied to me once yet. So there's no need to apologize; even if you haven't said anything, your eyes have."

"Osamu…"

One finger came to rest on Jun's lips. "No more words. You might contradict yourself, Jun-chan."

An endearment. An actual endearment, one without some hidden meaning that was to be thrown in her face at a later day. At least, she hoped not. She sat there, staring at the boy as his face moved closer … closer…

x x x x x

Ken pressed himself against the wall, his eyebrows drawing together in concentration. Daisuke did the same thing his best friend did, straining to hear anymore words between their siblings. After half a minute of trying, Daisuke fell back on the concrete and sighed. "They're not talkin' anymore, Ken," he said firmly.

"I … don't get it," Ken muttered, pushing away from the wall and looking at Daisuke. "I could've sworn they liked each other. Why'd they stop talking now?"

Daisuke shrugged, again watching the falling rain. "Maybe you were wrong for once."

Unbeknownst to the two boys, their older siblings were locked in a passionate kiss inside their prison, neither intending to break the moment of absolute bliss.

* * *

**Notes:  
**As you can probably tell, Ken's a bit out-of-character throughout this story. Of course, that's completely understandable; he has his older brother about and, unlike most AUs that I've seen, he competes against him instead of floundering in his misery and contempt. 


	3. Lovers

Started: February 25, 2001  
Finished: April 6, 2001  
Revised: January 9, 2005

* * *

**"You Know It's Love"  
_Part 3: Lovers_ **

A week passed before Ken Ichijouji and Daisuke Motomiya saw each other again, remarking quite bluntly to each other that they would never work together as a Cupid duo. Ken remarked with a sigh that there was _definitely_ a reason neither of them had ended up being the Child of Love. Daisuke jokingly replied he would work with Iori Hida if the need to play Cupid again ever struck him, which caused Ken to punch him in response. Another week passed before either talked to the other again.

Osamu Ichijouji and Jun Motomiya were a different story entirely, however. The two young teenagers were unable to keep away from each other, spending every free moment together. They were openly going out, holding hands and Jun introducing Osamu to all her friends. It got out quickly that the elder of the Ichijouji brothers was now taken, and Jun found herself being talked about in every other way that she could have dreamed of. Ken was also faced with a change; whereas he formerly had thirty to forty girls fawning over him, he now had nearly eighty swooning fangirls awaiting him at his soccer games.

Three weeks after The Shed Incident, as the four now referred to the fateful event on that rainy day, Jun was being dragged to Daisuke's latest soccer game against Tamachi. Of course, the girl was more than happy to be dragged off; it gave her a reason to see Osamu again without seeming like an obsessed adolescent. She skipped happily, making flighty small talk with her little brother all the way across town. As they reached the soccer field, they couldn't help but stare at the large gathering of girls, ranging from their preteens to their late teens, screaming and squealing about something in the heart of the chaos.

"No doubt that Ken's in there somewhere," Daisuke sighed, scratching the back of his neck as he neared.

"Gods, those two are natural girl-magnets," Jun whispered, unable to resist the urge to shake her head sadly. _And you've snatched one of them, you lucky girl…_

There was a chuckle from behind them. "No kidding."

The two Motomiyas swung around, almost bowling over the person who had snuck up on them. Daisuke blinked hard, then immediately began to apologize. "Agh, sorry Koushiro! Geez, are you okay??"

Koushiro Izumi dusted off his jacket and grinned. "I'm fine; don't get strung out, Daisuke." He looked at Jun and bowed in greeting. "I'm Koushiro Izumi, Osamu's best friend. I take it that you're Jun?"

Jun smiled. "The computer whiz of Odaiba Junior High! I hear you know more about computers than Osamu-kun!"

The short redhead shrugged modestly, looking past the two to see Osamu and Ken wrench themselves from the crowd of crazy fans. Jun turned and ran to the older of the two, throwing her arms around him and smiling triumphantly at the girls that looked her way. Ken smiled nervously, noting the suddenly-predatory looks he was getting from the large mob.

Daisuke dragged Ken down the stadium steps quickly, sweatdropping profusely as a wave of girls followed after them. "My _God,_ Ken, why didn't you bring a stick with you!?" he growled, breaking into a descending sprint.

"For what!?" demanded the older boy, barely balancing himself out as he pulled out of Daisuke's grip.

"Beating the dang fangirls down, of course!" hissed his best friend, reaching the bottom of the steps and charging out onto the soccer field. Ken suppressed a scream as the parade of girls followed right after them, waving notepads and flashing cameras all the while.

The three teenagers watched from a safe distance away, Osamu whistling lowly as his little brother and Daisuke bowled through the four defense players from Odaiba's team, running along the edge of the soccer field with the girls still hot on their heels. Daisuke's wail of outrage was audible from where the three stood. "I've never seen the fangirls act _that_ aggressive…"

"Well, one of the Ichijouji brothers have already been taken," shrugged Koushiro, looking on as the Tamachi midfielders became the next victims of the spectacular chase. "The battle is on for the other one."

Jun looked absolutely astonished by the scene. "Wow… I've never seen Dai move so fast in my entire _life_…"

x x x x x

That day, Odaiba and Tamachi tied. Again.

After running for their lives for nearly thirty minutes, both Daisuke and Ken were rescued from their pursuers by their older siblings and a group of adults consisting of their coaches and the referees. As it turned out, the two star players were in no condition to begin the game; something between a tragedy and a blessing for the two coaches. Both of the teams lost their major scorers, which led to a desperate struggle to gain the advantage throughout the game. It was a dull game with an ending score of 0-0 -- a new and incredibly sad low for both teams.

Osamu and Jun didn't even bother cheering.

Jun grumbled as Daisuke wearily climbed the steps, followed closely by Ken. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" she huffed, arms akimbo.

Both eleven-year-olds straightened in bewilderment. "What?!" demanded her little brother as he pulled a familiar pair of goggles from his bag and put them on. "What the heck is _that_ supposed to mean?!"

"You two should've been out there!" Osamu joined in, arms crossed as he stood next to Jun. "We didn't come to watch you two warm the bench!"

Ken and Daisuke traded aghast looks before Ken sputtered a reply. "B-- but you saw what happened! We _couldn't_ have played--"

"'Couldn't' is such a harsh word, Ken," Koushiro chuckled, an impish grin growing on his face. The three teens laughed as the two boys gaped indignantly.

"We came here to watch you beat each other up!" Jun laughed, smiling widely as Daisuke's eyes continued to grow larger. "It's so much fun watching you two battle it out!"

"No kidding," Osamu agreed, watching Ken's eyes begin to twitch. "Like that slide tackle last game, Ken! You wiped Motomiya out for the whole play!"

"He did _not,_" defended Jun. "He got up again!"

"And then tripped!" retorted the older Ichijouji.

"… … So what?! My bro could kick your bro's butt!"

"I'd like to see him try! My brother can outsmart him any day!"

"'Try!?' He _will!_ Just you wait, Ichijouji!"

"Will I get to see it in this lifetime??"

The two teenagers' younger siblings gave each other determined looks, then shouted in unison, "Did it ever occur to you two that we don't want to kill each other!? We're friends too, you know!"

Osamu and Jun stopped their argument, blinking at their little brothers. Grinning at their accomplishment, Ken and Daisuke gave each other a high-five and began laughing. Koushiro joined in their laughter, leaving the young couple to blush by themselves.

x x x x x

Jun held Osamu's hand as they walked through downtown Odaiba, glancing at her surroundings with a newfound appreciation. In the past, she had always been too wrapped up in chasing boys to pay attention to her surroundings; finding a steady boyfriend opened up a whole new world for her. _I kinda like this…_

"Hey, I just want to let you know that, as your boyfriend, I'm supposed to shower you with gifts," Osamu said, breaking the silence between them. He turned those wonderful violet eyes on her. "I really can't do that, though, since I don't have a job and my parents hide all the money I make off of doing commercials…"

The red-haired Motomiya laughed and hugged her boyfriend's arm. "I don't need gifts from you, Osamu-kun," she cooed. "Your cute face is enough for me!"

Osamu grinned, the slightest hint of a blush making its way to his face. He bent down and kissed the girl on the forehead, then resumed walking. They remained this way until a pair of blondes appeared in the distance. Jun straightened, blinking as she recognized the older of the duo. She smiled and waved with her free arm. "Yamato!"

_Yamato…?_ Osamu tensed at the name, remembering how Koushiro had described the boy. _Her crush?_

As the two groups met, Osamu got his first look at the other fourteen-year-old. He grudgingly admitted that the other boy was good-looking, with his hair stylishly gelled and with an aura of coolness that would probably send girls raving. At his side was a younger boy about Ken's age, wearing a hat and smiling jovially -- as if nothing could go wrong with his day. From their appearances alone, Osamu was able to tell the two were related.

"Hi, Jun," greeted Yamato Ishida. He was able to be calm around the girl now, seeing as she was attached and no longer chasing him. His eyes shifted from the girl to the indigo-haired genius standing next to her. He didn't fail to notice the glare he was receiving. "Osamu Ichijouji, the prodigy of Tamachi. I've heard a lot about you." He held his hand out in greeting. "I'm Yamato Ishida. This is my little brother, Takeru."

Osamu managed a thin smile as he took the boy's hand, shaking it and squeezing it firmly. "A pleasure," he said mildly. "I've … heard about you as well, Yamato."

"Osamu-kun, Yamato is the lead singer of the band Teen-Age Wolves," explained Jun, not noticing the wariness in her boyfriend's eyes. "I've had a crush on him for a long time, but I've moved on."

Yamato smiled, a bit surprised by Jun's statement; she had openly admitted that she had had a crush on him in the presence of both him and her boyfriend. He watched as Osamu's eyes slowly softened. "… Is that so?" the violet-eyed boy said, adjusting his glasses as if to see Yamato in a whole new light. "So you're a singer, Yamato?"

"Only as a hobby and part-time job," replied the slightly-older boy with a shrug. "I'm pretty good at it, but there's not much of a future in it."

Takeru smirked next to his brother. "He also likes the scores of girls screaming his name," he said innocently. Yamato grinned, hitting the younger blonde playfully before looking back at his fellow teenagers. Takeru laughed. "I'm friends with both of your little brothers."

"Daisuke talks about you sometimes," Jun murmured, nodding in confirmation. "'Can't say all of it's good, but he does talk about you."

Osamu frowned in thought. "I think Ken's talked about you before… You're friends with a Hikari, right?"

"That's right -- Hikari Yagami. We're all in the computer club together."

Jun couldn't restrain her laughter. "Daisuke, in a computer club? He can't get near a computer without breaking something in it!"

Takeru shrugged, glancing away for a second. "Yeah, well, Daisuke's pretty helpful… He's actually done some pretty admirable things for all of us."

Yamato cleared his throat noisily, giving his little brother a pointed look. "We've gotta get going, you two; I have to get Takeru back home before I head for band practice."

The subject changed, Takeru huffed in annoyance. "I don't need an escort."

"Mom seems to think differently, squirt," chuckled the singer, giving a small salute to the young couple. "Sorry to cut the chat short, but I don't want to make the band to wait." He shook Osamu's hand again and smiled at Jun. "Nice to meet you, Osamu… Hey, does this mean that you won't be coming to our concerts anymore, Jun?"

The red-haired girl grinned. "Just because I'm not playing stalker anymore doesn't mean I'm gonna stop listening to your music, Yamato. I'm not _that_ shallow."

x x x x x

Less than a week after the encounter with Yamato, Osamu and Jun found themselves sitting back in front of a now-familiar soccer field. They had arrived ahead of their brothers at Ken's request, who wanted to save himself from the rabid fangirls that would be waiting for his arrival. Presently, a large group of teenage girls blocked the main way into the stands, chattering excitedly amongst themselves as they waited for the younger Ichijouji.

"So, who do you think is going to win?" Jun queried, resting her chin in her hands. Osamu was once again on his laptop, instant messaging Koushiro as they waited for their siblings to arrive.

"I really don't know," Osamu replied as he finished his message to his best friend and sent it. "How many times have they tied now? Three?"

"Four," corrected his girlfriend with a sigh. She hid her face in her hands for a second to groan loudly. "I'm getting tired of cheering at a game that doesn't have a winning team."

Osamu smiled thinly. "Imagine being one of the players," he murmured. He looked behind him, seeing Daisuke walking down the stone steps. "Here comes your brother, Jun."

Jun looked up at that, waving her goggle-wearing brother over to where they were sitting. "Where's Ken?" she immediately queried.

Daisuke scratched the back of his head and made a sound with the back of his throat. "He told me to go on ahead; he wanted to spare me the physical punishment of fangirls." He looked at his best friend's older brother with his arms crossed. "What the heck makes you guys so popular? It can't just be your brains; Koushiro's just as smart as either of you and he doesn't have flocks of fans chasing him across soccer fields…"

The indigo-haired teenager offered a finger for every reason. "Let's see … other than the brains, Ken and I have natural talent and charisma."

"Natural charisma," huffed the shorter boy crossly.

"I'd say it's natural," Jun said, brows shooting up. "How do you get _un_natural charisma?"

Waving off the question, Daisuke turned to make his way down to the field. "I've gotta get down there and start warming up. Can you save Ken if he gets mobbed by his adoring fans?"

No sooner did those words come out of Daisuke's mouth did a single girl from the crowd scream, pointing wildly at an approaching figure. As the two Motomiyas and Osamu turned, the army of girls ran down the street. There was an audible scream that struck a chord of familiarity among the three.

Daisuke watched the scene passively, then began marching up the steps. "… . Never mind; I'll get him."

The young couple simply watched, holding hands as they watched three dozen girls fight over Ken Ichijouji. "… Aren't you glad you got a girlfriend before your little brother?" Jun whispered, leaning over to rest her head on Osamu's shoulder.

"Very," confirmed Osamu, looking down at Jun calmly before placing a kiss on her forehead.

-- End --

* * *

Ah, light-hearted and kinda fluffy, I guess. I don't usually write like this, but it was a nice change. Romances are nice when they aren't angsty, ne? I really liked this idea; Osamu's presence in Ken's life has created a very different Ken and thus a very different 02 world. 

So … who wins that last game between Odaiba and Tamachi? Well, you get to decide. :-P Take a coin -- no trick coins, okay? Anyway, take the coin and toss it in the air. If it's heads, Odaiba loses and Tamachi doesn't win. If it's tails, the teams tie. Enjoy!


End file.
